Conveying apparatus.



. No. 866,264. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

J. T. COWLEY.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16. 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

J. T.. COWLEY.

CONVEYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18. 1905.

PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTA'pns 1353mm OFFICE.

JAMES T. COWLEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAMSON CONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A'CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

7 Application filed May 18,1905. Serial No. 260,927.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. COWLEY, 61 Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and, useful Improvements in Conveying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of cable track conveyers so combined, constructed and operated as to utilize a car or carrier traveling thereon to 'automatically pick up and convey letters, packages or loose matter from a series of despatching stations or shelves located along the system and automatically discharge the said articlesinto any of a series of receiving stations located along the said system. These objects are accomplished by providing despatch stations or shelves so located that on passing beneath said shelves, a sweep mounted on the car or carrier will sweep any articles from the said shelves into the said carrier. At the receiving stations there are provided trip cams adapted to engage spring actuated clutches at each end of the carrier, releasing the said clutches and causing the bottom of the carrier to divide and swing outward dis charging the articles. Cams are adapted to engage the bottom of the carrier immediately after discharging, said cams causing the bottom to assume its initial position whereupon the spring-actuated clutches lock the same into position. Numerous other important features are hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodying my invention, Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the track and receiving station. Fig. -2 is a side elevation of track and despatching station. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of carrier and track. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the carrier showing the releasing device.

Like letters of reference refer to. like parts throughout the several views: The vertical standards A are fixed to the table A and carry the adjustable cross pieces A (Fig. 4) which are held in position by the bolts Q. The supporting track A is mounted on extensions of the said cross pieces A Mounted in the yoke of said cross piece A are the guide rails A A The grooved wheels B are journaled in the frame IB and are adapted to travel on the track A The carrier B is suspended from the frame B by'the brackets 13; a rubber strip B is set in a slot in the plate B which plate is drop-fastened to the frame B by the rod B. The shelves or despatching stations D are mounted on the brackets D which are adjustable on the vertical standards A and he1d by the bolts 'Q. These shelves D are adjusted to allow the strips B to sweep over them.

springs F and F acting thereon.

set screws B and said spring grip engages the cable C.

The guide rolls C C are journaled in the said frame B and operate between the guide rails A A". The

"horizontal cam strip B screwed to the frame B acts a loop which may be mounted upon and driven by any suitable pulley or drum. The carrier B has the The Spmi grip is fixed to the frame B by the H counterbalance weight F mounted on its side and 0111 either end carries the face plates F F. 'Pivoted to said face plates F F are the locking levers F and F respectively. The bottom of the carrier is divided into two swinging portions G, G which are hinged to the sides ofsaid carrier and adapted to swing outwardly. The portion G in the closed .position overlaps and holds the swinging portion G in position,

extensions of said portion G. engaging the said lock-" ing levers F F. The springs F F hold the said' levers in position. Rolls H H are pivoted to each engage the cams H and H which are mounted adbolts Q. A trip cam E- (Fig.. 5) ismountedon the standards A and so angularly adjusted asto engage the fingers F F of the locking levers F and releases the swinging portions of the carrier.

The operator stands at the case (Fig. 2) and places the desired articles upon either of the despatching stations D and the carrier actuated by the cable C traveling upon the track A upon passing the said shelves or despatching stations D sweeps the articles placed thereon into the carrier B by means of the sweep B The carrier upon coming to a receiving station (Fig. l) engages the trip cam H which releases the locking levers F F*-'thereby causing the swinging portions G G of the carrier to swing outward releasing the load into the receptacle. thereunder. Upon passing said receiving station the cams H and H engage the rolls H -and H of the swinging portions G and (3 thereby causing the same to swing inward, the portion G assuming its position in ad- Vance of the portion G which closes'thereon, the leof the swinging portions G and Gand are adapted to justably on the supports A and held thereon bythe vers F and F locking the same by means of the v On approaching the cable supporting fin'ger E the cam strip B on the carrier B engages the roll E forcing the said finger E to one side allowing the carrier to pass. The spring E immediately causes the said finger E to resume its initial position. Upon passing the pulleys G and C a depression in the track A dropping the carrier B below the cable C throws the grip Bl out of contact what I claim as newfand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 1

1. In a conveying apparatus, ajtrame work, means supporting said frame work, tracks or guide. rails mounted therein, a carrier adapted to-travel onsald tracks or guide rails, a propelling cable adapted to actuate said carrier, despa tchlng stations of shelves located within -the path of travel of said carrier,-and means located on said carrier for sweeping articles on said despatching shelves or stations into said carrier.

2. In a conveying apparatus, a frame work, means supporting said frame work, tracks or guide rails mounted therein, a carrier adapted totravel on said tracks or guide rails, a propelling cable adapted to actuate said carrier, despatching stations or shelves located within the path of travel of said carrier, and yielding means located on said' carrier for sweping articles on said despatching stations or shelves into said carrier. 3. in a conveying apparatus, a track or way, a carrier adapted to travel on said track or way, a propelling cableadapted to actuate said carrier, one or more despatchlng stations or shelves located in the path of travel of-said carrier, and means located on the carrier for sweeping articles from said despatching station or stations into said carrier. I

4. In a conveying apparatus, a track or way, a carrier adapted to travel on said track or way, a propelling cable adapted to actuate said carrier, one or more despatching stations or shelves located in the path of travel of said carrier, and yielding means located on the carrier for sweeping articles from said despatching station or stations into said carrier.

' this 12th day of May 1905.

5. In a conveying apparatus, a track or way, a carrier adapted to travel on said track or way and provided with a releasable bottom, means for normally holding said bottom in its closed position, a propelling cable adapted to actuate said carrier, one or more despatching stations or shelves located in the ,path of travel of said carrier, 0.

receiving station located in the path of travel of said carrier, and means for releasing said bottom to allow the discharge of the contents of said carrier at said receiving station.

6. In a conveying apparatus, a track or way, a carrier adapted to travel on said track' or way and provided with a releasable bottom, means for normally holding said bottom in its closed position, a propelling cable adapted to actuate said carrier, one-or more despatching stations or v shelves located in the path of travel of said carrier, a receiving station located in the path of travel of said carrier, meansfor releasing said bottom to allow the discharge of the contents of said carrier .at said receiving station, actuating means adapted to close said releasable bottom after said discharge, and means for locking said releasable bottom in its closed position,

7. In a conveyingapparatus, a track or way, a carrier adapted to travel on said track or way, a propelling cable adapted to actuate said carrier, one or more despatc'hing stations located in thepath oi. travel of said carrier, a receiving stationlocated in the path of travel of said car- .rier, means located on the carrier for'sweeping articles from said despatching station or stations into said carrier,

a receiving station located in the path of travel of said I carrier, and means for discharging the contents'of said carrier at said receiving station.

in testimony whereof, lihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,

JAMES '1. COWLEY.

Witnesses:

WILLARD A. Maser,

Wumrsn WiLcox. 

